جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 20

Kael had been pacing for the last five minutes, which was never a good sign.He stopped abruptly and reached for his jacket with the quiet, decisive energy of a man who had already made up his mind. "I'll just go get the doormyself."Lucas was on his feet before the sentence finished.He crossed the room and placed one firm hand against Kael's chest....not aggressive, just immovable. "Sit down and let me handle it." His eyes dropped briefly to Kael's bare left hand.He had taken the ring off less than thirty minutes ago and already he could feel the difference.He hated how quickly his body noticed the absence, and he hated even more that Lucas was standing there with that steady, knowing look..He stepped back and lowered himself into the chair. "Fine," he said flatly. "Go see who's at the door."Lucas walked out without another word. He opened the front door and whatever he was about to say died completely in his throat."What the actual..." He stopped himself, barely. "You again?"

Lucas was still holding her earring between his fingers, when Elara reached up and knocked his hand away with a sharp, clean slap."Next time you feel like being flirty," she said, stepping back and giving him a look that had absolutely no warmth in it, "please do it in your own personal space and not outside your boss's front door, I would very much like to leave now."Lucas gave out the smile of a man who found her reaction more entertaining than offensive. "I love a feisty woman," he said.Elara stepped right up to him and pointed one finger directly at his face. "I am not your woman! And for the record, I am completely done with men. All of them."Lucas raised both hands in a gesture of peace, his smile softening into something more genuine. "I'm not trying to be your man but I can see what you're going through right now, and I'm not blind to it. Let me take you somewhere, get you out of your head for a few hours."She studied him for a moment, then crossed her arms. "I don't thin

The kiss ended and neither of them moved.They stood, staring at each other and wearing the particular expression of two people who had just done something that required immediate and honest renegotiation.Then Lucas reached toward her face, his thumb moving to the corner of her mouth where her lip gloss had transferred slightly.Elara's hand came up and knocked his hand away before he got there."I'm sorry," she said, and she meant it, even if the word felt both too small and too loaded at the same time. "This was a mistake. I basically forced that on you and I.....""Elara." Lucas looked at her steadily, his expression patient but pointed. "Are you seriously about to lie to me right now? We are both adults standing on the same pavement. You don't have to do that."She opened her mouth. Closed it. And then, without fully understanding why, she turned and walked back into the boutique.Lucas watched her go, saying nothing.Inside, she went straight to the counter and smiled at the cas

Kael's dark eyes fixed on the earring dangling from Elara’s ear with an intensity that bordered on obsession.Slowly, he extended his hand, fingers hovering near her lobe and grazing the warm skin of her neck without making full contact.“Where did you get this?” he demanded, his voice low and rough with suspicion, eyes locked on the earring for a long, intense moment.Elara gulped visibly, her pulse was thundering under his heavy touch as heat rushed into her cheeks. “Okay yeah,” she managed, her voice barely steady. “Jasmine’s mom is really into jewelry, so we order pieces from her store sometimes.”Kael nodded slowly, his expression hardening into that familiar mask of arrogant possession.A smirk played at the corner of his lips, but his gaze remained cold and calculating, as though marking territory.“So it all boils down to my Jasmine, right?” His words carried a possessive weight that twisted uncomfortably in Elara’s chest.She felt a flicker of irritation cross her face. “Yea

Elara bolted upright in the unfamiliar bed, her voice cracking through the quiet room as panic gripped her chest. "Jasmine, no! Jasmine, no!" A gentle voice cut through the haze close beside her. "Hey. Calm down. Are you fine?"She turned sharply, eyes widening as she took in Lucas sitting on the edge of the bed.His expression was soft with concern, a warm cup of coffee in his hands.Morning light streamed brightly through the large windows, painting the room in golden hues.She rubbed her eyes vigorously, blinking against the brightness while scanning the space in confusion. "Where the fuck am I?" Lucas walked closer with careful steps, offering her the cup with a reassuring smile. "Don't you remember what happened throughout the night?"Elara stared at him for a long time, her brows furrowing deeply as memories slowly pieced together.Relief washed over her features, though lingering worry still tightened her lips. "How is Kael? The seizures started again while we were together,